Until The End: In The Beginning
by Mako Headrush
Summary: Summary: This is a series of outtakes/drabbles that are spin-offs of my story "Until The End." Follow Reno and Cloud through the early stages of their friendship. Intended as a prequel/interludes to "Until The End."


**Summary: This is the first in a little series of outtakes/drabbles that are spin-offs of the first fanfic I ever posted on ff-net, entitled Until The End. It also ended up being the first multi-chapter fanfic that I wrote to its completion. **

**It has been four years since I posted that first story, and to mark the occasion - and, as a special thank you to my readers and Cloud/Reno fans, I thought I'd write these little snippets and slices of life that are offshoots of the main story. These vignettes will follow Reno and Cloud as they first become friends, then so much more. **

**Usual disclaimer: Don't own FFVII or Reno and Cloud, but oh, I wish I did! This is written for fun and not profit.**

* * *

To any passers-by, it would appear that Reno was pacing back and forth erratically in front of Cloud's apartment building, just talking to himself. Which he was, but the pacing was due to nerves, and the dialogue was one he'd rehearsed in his mind many times up until now.

Words he'd never had the balls to say to the man with whom he'd been longing to have something more than just friendship. Reno's palms grew damp as the sun was setting over the horizon, illuminating the urban decay of what had once been Midgar. Shinra's crown jewel, now in ruins. He turned his back on the rubble, setting his sights for Edge, and the new complex of modest apartments that was his destination.

"What the hell am I going to say to him?" Reno muttered to himself, ignoring the stares of curious people passing by. "What _should _I say to him? 'Hello, I've been in love with you since the world almost ended?' Gods, he'll slam the door in my face - "

"Excuse me?" A woman pushing a baby stroller walked by Reno and mistakenly thought he was addressing her. "Sir? Did you say something?"

"Oh...sorry. Just talking to myself, don't mind me," Reno murmured, blushing a bit that he'd been caught yammering on like that. He made a little waving motion at the baby, asleep in his stroller and smiled. "Cute kid, yo." The woman smiled in kind, and quickly thanked Reno before excusing herself.

_Nice going, Reno. Scare the lady. I must look like some kind of lunatic stalker or something, pacing outside Cloud's building and peeping through his windows like a fucking perv._

As Reno approached the building, he stared up at the row of windows on the second floor, the corner apartment. A familiar silhouette appeared, walking back and forth from the living room to the kitchenette, and Reno felt his breath catch in his throat at the first appearance of those telltale spikes.

_I'd know that profile of his anywhere,_ he thought with a grin, then frowned. _Gods...I really **am** acting like a creepy-ass stalker._ _Well, Turk, grow some balls and ring the fucking doorbell._ _Why not? It can't hurt, right? He did say to stop in sometime to see his new place..._

Reno pondered this as he stared at the windows above, watching the spike-haired silhouette pulling a shirt over his head and discarding it; then, the figure disappeared from view. The Turk presumed Cloud had taken a seat on his couch, or - had he suddenly taken ill and passed out? The thought was ridiculous, Reno knew, but Cloud _had_ been looking kind of pale lately...

_Of course he's pale, jackass. He's a buff blond guy from Nibelheim._

_Maybe I should check on him..._ Reno shook his head and muttered under his breath, irritated with his own idiocy. Cloud Strife was probably the last man on earth who would put up with being mother-henned like that.

_Why do I feel like I need an excuse to go in and see him? He told me to drop by whenever, and I just happened to be in the neighborhood...okay, that's a lie. I wasn't anywhere near here until I fucking walked here, intentionally._

Glancing across the street at the storefronts, Reno broke into a smile as a sudden idea occurred to him. He dashed across the avenue, dodging several taxi-cabs who angrily honked their horns at him.

Moments later, he had a bottle of wine in hand, and marched back across the street, nervously ringing the buzzer for Cloud's apartment.

He danced on the balls of his feet, shifting back and forth as he waited for Cloud to reply.

"Yeah?" came a weary-sounding voice over the intercom.

"Yo, Cloud...it's Reno," he announced. "Uh, sorry to drop by unannounced, but I happened to be in the neighborhood, and..."

_Liar. Reno, you are such a fucking liar,_ the Turk told himself.

"Oh. Hey, Reno," Cloud answered, yawning. "Come on up."

The moment the door latch opened, Reno pushed on through, taking the stairs two at a time until he reached the second floor landing, and saw Cloud's door opening. There he stood - the man Reno had been daydreaming about all day long - shirtless, and looking just a bit sleepy.

"Shit. I didn't wake ya up, did I?" Reno fretted. Cloud shook his head.

"No...just chilling for a bit," Cloud replied, scratching his head. "Had a long day. What brings you to this part of town, Reno?"

"I wanted to see you." The words came rushing out before Reno could stop himself. "And, uh - here, brought you a housewarming gift," he added, handing the bottle of wine to Cloud. "You like red, right?"

Cloud smiled, nodding. He stared, just a moment too long, at Reno's hair. "Yes. I do like red," he replied, holding the door open for Reno. "Come on in...sorry, I'm a little out of it. I had a lot of deliveries today."

"Sorry, yo," Reno said sheepishly. He ducked his head and looked up at Cloud through his spiky bangs. "I shoulda called first."

"No, it's fine," Cloud replied, smiling. He was feeling an odd combination of relaxation and nervousness. The hero felt at ease around Reno, ever since they'd struck up this unexpected friendship, but now there was something more. Cloud wondered if Reno felt it too.

He set the bottle of wine on the breakfast bar, and much to Reno's dismay, grabbed the discarded shirt from where he'd thrown it on the recliner and quickly pulled it back on. "Well...this is it, finally got my own place," Cloud announced. "Want the grand tour, Reno? It'll only take a minute," he quipped. "Small apartment."

"It looks nice, though," Reno told Cloud, and he meant it. Small was not a bad thing in this case; the apartment was certainly spacious enough for one bachelor.

_Or two bachelors,_ Reno thought, then mentally slapped himself in the head. _Shit. I need to put the brakes on my libido,_ he scolded himself silently. _If that's even possible_. Cloud was leading Reno down the hallway, pointing out the bathroom, and the bedrooms.

"It's actually a two bedroom," Cloud informed Reno. "But the second bedroom is much smaller. I figured I can use it for an office or something."

"Good thinking," Reno nodded. He stared at Cloud dumbly, licking his lips. "Um..."

"Oh," Cloud quickly turned his head as he felt his face grow hot. Damn it, why was he so nervous around Reno? "I didn't show you the living room - it's uh, here." Cloud pointed toward the sofa and television set without even looking. He scratched his head nervously, and turned back toward Reno. "Ah, do you want to open the wine you brought? I mean, we don't have to have it now, but if you want - " Cloud bit his lip, chewing on it nervously. He could no longer ignore that he was attracted to the lanky Turk; the way he moved, like sex on legs, so brimming with cockiness and testosterone.

Those eyes, full of tenderness and humor one moment, then the next, filled with a wicked gleam of mischief; of unbridled sexuality.

Reno, for his part, hadn't been able to take his eyes off of Cloud for one moment, and he'd been caught staring more than once. He swallowed hard - twice, then attempted to speak coherently. Suddenly his tongue was tripping over itself, and he stammered.

"S-sure, Cloud. Of course, if you want to open it, it's fine - hey, we can toast your new place, right?" Cloud nodded and headed off to the tiny kitchen to rummage for two wine glasses and a corkscrew. Reno leaned over the breakfast bar, trying to be act nonchalant as he studied Cloud's ass.

Cloud smirked as he closed the cabinet door; oh, he knew Reno had been staring. Just when the Turk thought he wasn't being obvious, Cloud had caught him. And it wasn't as if he minded the staring, either.

He poured the wine out into the two glasses, spilling a tiny bit upon the pristine countertop. "That's alcohol abuse, yo," Reno teased, nudging Cloud with his elbow.

"What?" Cloud said dumbly, catching the joke a minute later. "Oh...the wine. Ha ha, very funny, Reno. So...what should we drink to?"

Reno paused for a beat, and then raised his glass, clinking it next to Cloud's.

"To new beginnings."

* * *

**_Author's Note: A big thanks to my readers and friends who have supported me and my writing these past four years; for those who read and reviewed, and provided constructive feedback, or just PMed me to discuss our love of the game and the fandom. This one's for all of you Reno and Cloud fans who encouraged my madness and continue to do so to this day. Thank you again!_**


End file.
